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Two try bonus-point wins has raised the mood around Welford Road considerably.

Naturally no-one will be getting carried away, because Saracens have been, and were against Tigers, inconsistent all season.

Nevertheless, a win at Allianz Park is a rare pleasure indeed. Equally Worcester’s league position would have suggested a win even away to the Tigers of old, but year it was a welcome surprise, particularly following the loss at home earlier in the season.

Tigers flanker Will Evans is tackled by Wasps Danny Cipriani and Jimmy Gopperth at the Ricoh Arena earlier in the season. Picture - Dan Mullan/Getty Images

If the old adage that forwards win matches was ever proven it has been done so by the Bakewell-inspired ‘new’ Tigers pack.

All season we’ve known how good Tigers’ stellar backs could be, but even the best will struggle whilst constantly on the back foot and spending all game defending.

Of course, Wasps are a much sterner test and currently lie second in the Aviva Premiership table and the reverse fixture, close as it was, signalled the start of Tigers’ apparent collapse as they crashed out of Europe and appeared to be doing much the same in the Premiership.

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This time, the Tigers fans will be hoping that the International break will have afforded Bakewell time to polish the improved Tigers pack further.

In this five-match mini-season to come, this is the first test.

In truth, Leicester desperately need to pass that test, and certainly can’t afford to lose any home games in the run-in if the once impossible dream of maintaining the amazing record of reaching the play-offs is to be maintained,

On the other hand, a win here and a follow-up at Twickenham against the old enemy Bath would have the Welford Road faithful beginning to believe.